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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

January 2023

Experiment A25
Investigation on Cooling Tower Performance:
Approach to Wet-bulb
Aims:
1. To measure the temperature changes of air and water entering and leaving the cooling
tower.
2. To access the effect of heat rejection load and air flow rate on the wet-bulb approach.

Introduction:

Consider the surface of a warm water droplet or film in contact with an air stream. If the
water is hotter than the air, it will be cooled by conduction and convection which will depend
on the temperature difference, the contact surface area and air velocity; and by evaporation.
Cooling by evaporation is by far the most important effect. Evaporative cooling takes place
as molecules of water diffuse from the surface into the surrounding air, and the energy
required for evaporation is taking from the remaining liquid.

The rate of evaporation from a wet surface into the surrounding air is determined by the
difference between the saturation vapour pressure at the liquid surface and the vapour
pressure in the surrounding air.

If unsaturated air is constantly circulated, the wet surface will reach an equilibrium
temperature at which the cooling effect due to evaporation is equal to the heat transfer to the
liquid by conduction and convection from the air. The equilibrium temperature reached by
the surface under adiabatic conditions is the wet-bulb temperature.

In a cooling tower of infinite size and with an adequate air flow rate, the water leaving will be
at the wet-bulb temperature of the incoming air. For this reason, the difference between the
temperature of the water leaving a cooling tower and the wet-bulb temperature of the air
entering the tower is an indication of the effectiveness of the cooling tower.

In this experiment the effect of heat rejection load and air flow rate on the wet-bulb approach
is investigated.

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Cooling tower terms:

Cooling Range
The difference between the water temperature at entry to and exit from the tower.

Hear Rejection Load

The rate at which heat is removed from the water, expressed in kW.
*( Heating Rejection = Mass Flow Rate of Water x Specific Heat x Cooling Range )

Approach to Wet-bulb
The difference between the temperature of the water leaving the tower and the wet-bulb
temperature of the air entering the tower.

Packing or Fill
The material over which the water flows as it falls through the tower, so that a large surface
area is presented to the air stream.

Make-up Water
The quantity of fresh water which must be supplied to the cooling water circuit to make good
the losses due to evaporation, drift and drain down.

Equipment:

The Hilton Bench Top Cooling Tower Rig is used for this experiment, which is designed to
provide an appreciation of the construction, design and operational characteristics of an
evaporative cooling system. The unit is a good example of an “open system” through which
two streams of fluid (water and air) flow and in which there is a heat and mass transfer from
one stream to the other.

The cooling tower rig is completely self-contained, and has much the same configuration as a
full size forced draft cooling tower. It includes:

- packed column
- forced draft centrifugal fan
- circulating pump
- water distributer
- water droplet arrester
- make-up tank
(1+𝑤𝑤) 𝑥𝑥
Air flow measurement orifice constant: 𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑎 = 0.137 �(1+2𝑤𝑤)
𝑣𝑣𝑎𝑎

where ma = Dry air mass flow rate (kg/s)

x = Orifice differential (mm H2O)
νa = Specific volume of dry air leaving the tower (m3/kg)
w = Moisture content of air leaving the tower (kg/kg dry air)

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Figure 1. Schematic diagram of Bench Top Cooling Tower Rig

Procedures:

Stage 1

1.1 Familiarize yourself with the installation of the cooling tower rig, making reference to
the schematic diagram in Figure 1. Identify the various components of the cooling
tower and appreciate their function.

1.2 Identify and list the devices and sensors in the rig for the measurement of air
temperature, humidity, air flow rate, pressure drop, water temperature and flow rate.

1.3 Find out how the heat rejection load is simulated in this cooling tower rig.

Stage 2

2.1 Using packed column B, set the cooling tower to operate, count the time interval and
allow to stabilize under the following conditions:

Water flow rate 40 g/s

Air flow manometer differential 16 mmH2O
Electrical heater input 0 kW

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2.2 Record the air temperature, humidity and water temperature at inlet and outlet of the
tower in the result sheet. Refill the make-up tank from a known quantity of distilled
water in a measuring cylinder.

2.3 While keeping the water and air flow rates constant, increase the electrical heater
input to 0.5 kW, 1 kW and 1.5 kW in steps, and repeat 2.1 and 2.2 after each step of
increased load.

Stage 3

3.1 Change the air flow rate to about one-half of that used in Stage 2 by adjusting the fan
intake damper, keeping the water flow rate same as before.

3.2 Repeat 2.1 to 2.3 under this reduced air flow rate.

Report

1. Complete the result sheet by calculating the air flow rate, heat rejection load, wet-bulb
approach and amount of water loss due to evaporation.

2. Plot graphs to illustrate the relationship between heat rejection load and wet-bulb
approach for each of the two air flow rates, and briefly describe the relationship.

3. For formal report, in addition to 1 and 2, discuss the effect of heat rejection load and air
flow rate on the cooling tower performance in term of wet-bulb approach. Also,
comment on the effect of using Packed Column C which has more number of plates and
larger total surface area of packing (i.e., higher packing density) than Packed Column B.

Supporting information

• Packed Column B: Constructed in transparent PVC with ten plates per deck, eight decks
of inclined laminated plastic packing, water distribution troughs and pressure tapings.
Packing density 110 m2 per m3.
• Packed Column C: As column B but with eighteen plates per deck and a packing density
of 200 m2 per m3.

Reference:

1. H893 Bench Top Cooling Tower – Instruction Manual, P.A. Hilton Ltd., 2012.
2. Wang SK (2001), Handbook of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, 2nd ed. NY: McGraw-Hill.
(Chapter 10)
3. ASHRAE (2012). ASHRAE Handbook – HVAC Systems and Equipment. (Chapter 40)

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Result Sheet

Test no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Packed column installed B B B B B B B B

Packing density [Area/Vol] (m-1) 110 110 110 110 110 110 110 110

Air inlet dry-bulb t1 (oC)

Air inlet wet-bulb t2 (oC)

Moisture content of inlet air
win (kg/kg dry air)

Air outlet dry-bulb t3 (oC)

Air outlet wet-bulb t4 (oC)

Moisture content of outlet air
wout (kg/kg dry air)
Water inlet temperature t5 (oC)

Water outlet temperature t6 (oC)

Make-up water temperature t7 (oC)

(Assume same as ambient temperature t1)

Orifice differential x (mmH2O) 16 16 16 16

Pressure drop across Packing
ΔP (mmH2O)
Dry air flow rate ma (kg/s)

Water flow rate mw (g/s) 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 40

Electrical heater input (kW) 0 0.5 1.0 1.5 0 0.5 1.0 1.5

Pump input (kW) 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1

Cooling Range (oC)

Heat rejection load Q (kW)

Approach to wet-bulb (oC)

Make-up water quantity me ( ml )

Time interval y(s)

Water loss due to evaporation (kg/s)

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